Health care workers from several HealthPartners-owned Riverway Clinics have filed a legally required 10-day notice of intent to strike and set a strike date of June 9. The strike would affect clinics in Anoka, Elk River, and Andover, plus clerical staff at the Riverway business office in Anoka.
In addition, the SEIU Local 113, the union representing the workers, plans to take action against HealthPartners corporate headquarters. Workers overwhelmingly voted down a final contract offer on May 20.
The 160-plus healthcare workers, almost all of who are women, rejected the contract because it failed to provide affordable healthcare for their families, the union said. Workers sought to limit the portion they paid of single + 1 coverage to 20 percent and family coverage to 25 percent. HealthPartners executives want healthcare workers to pay 25 percent of single +1 coverage and 35 percent of family coverage. Under management's current contract offer, Riverway workers would pay as much as $396.65 per month for family coverage while workers at other HealthPartners clinics pay $70 to $120 per month for similar coverage.
Currently, almost two-thirds of the healthcare workers do not have health insurance from the clinics where they work.
For example, Michelle Deuel, who has worked as a Certified Medical Assistant at Riverway for almost five years, said she cannot afford to cover her 11-year-old son.
?I work hard every day, often providing care to the children of other mothers, but Riverway will not let me provide care to my own son,? she said. ?Right now he is covered by Minnesota Care (the state-subsidized health plan), but because I am working I will lose those benefits soon. As a health care provider, Riverway should be part of the solution and not try to make Minnesota taxpayers responsible for the care Riverway should be providing.?
Many employees face huge economic hardship because of non-covered medical bills, the union said.
Amanda Schultz, who works in Medical Records, is still trying to pay off a $1,000 medical bill after her daughter went to the emergency room and required three medical staples for a head wound.
?HealthPartners provides affordable family coverage to the employees at other clinics, why can they not provide it to the people at Riverway?? she asked. ? We work just as hard and provide the same quality of care.?
While Riverway refuses to provide affordable healthcare to employees, it recently announced that the three clinics would be given a total of $30,000 to purchase artwork. Said union member Jessica DeMarais, ?I don't need pretty pictures at work, I need to be able to afford to bring my 3-year-old daughter to see a doctor.?
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Health care workers from several HealthPartners-owned Riverway Clinics have filed a legally required 10-day notice of intent to strike and set a strike date of June 9. The strike would affect clinics in Anoka, Elk River, and Andover, plus clerical staff at the Riverway business office in Anoka.
In addition, the SEIU Local 113, the union representing the workers, plans to take action against HealthPartners corporate headquarters. Workers overwhelmingly voted down a final contract offer on May 20.
The 160-plus healthcare workers, almost all of who are women, rejected the contract because it failed to provide affordable healthcare for their families, the union said. Workers sought to limit the portion they paid of single + 1 coverage to 20 percent and family coverage to 25 percent. HealthPartners executives want healthcare workers to pay 25 percent of single +1 coverage and 35 percent of family coverage. Under management’s current contract offer, Riverway workers would pay as much as $396.65 per month for family coverage while workers at other HealthPartners clinics pay $70 to $120 per month for similar coverage.
Currently, almost two-thirds of the healthcare workers do not have health insurance from the clinics where they work.
For example, Michelle Deuel, who has worked as a Certified Medical Assistant at Riverway for almost five years, said she cannot afford to cover her 11-year-old son.
?I work hard every day, often providing care to the children of other mothers, but Riverway will not let me provide care to my own son,? she said. ?Right now he is covered by Minnesota Care (the state-subsidized health plan), but because I am working I will lose those benefits soon. As a health care provider, Riverway should be part of the solution and not try to make Minnesota taxpayers responsible for the care Riverway should be providing.?
Many employees face huge economic hardship because of non-covered medical bills, the union said.
Amanda Schultz, who works in Medical Records, is still trying to pay off a $1,000 medical bill after her daughter went to the emergency room and required three medical staples for a head wound.
?HealthPartners provides affordable family coverage to the employees at other clinics, why can they not provide it to the people at Riverway?? she asked. ? We work just as hard and provide the same quality of care.?
While Riverway refuses to provide affordable healthcare to employees, it recently announced that the three clinics would be given a total of $30,000 to purchase artwork. Said union member Jessica DeMarais, ?I don’t need pretty pictures at work, I need to be able to afford to bring my 3-year-old daughter to see a doctor.?